Bloodbath at the Bay

I was pretty happy with my table draw. John Juanda and Marco Traniello were to my right, the guy to my left seemed easy to manipulate, and while the other guys further to my left would not be easy to run over, they certainly weren't superstars. We started with 20k in chips.

Level One, 50-100 blinds

UTG limps, another guy limps, Juanda limps, the guy to my right limps, I make it 800 on the button with 97o, UTG calls, everyone else folds. The flop comes 7h5h4h, UTG bets 1k, I make it 3200, he immediately goes all in, I fold, he shows Ah3h.

Marco raises on the button to 300, I call in the BB with 99. The flop is rags and we both check. The turn is a J or something and we both check. The river is an ace and we both check. He has 44 and I win.

I raise to 300 in the CO + 1 with T6s, the guy to my left calls, others fold, the flop comes AKJ, I check, the other guy checks, the turn is a brick, I bet 500, he folds.

I raise to 300 in early position with JJ, Juanda calls from the SB, and Marco Traniello calls in the BB. The flop comes 993, they check to me and I elect to check. I decided I was calling a checkraise and subsequent bets, and I did not want to get checkraised. Also when I check it solidifies my hand as big cards in their mind, and I can get paid off later in the hand. Also they will now bluff or bet worse hands than mine later in the hand. The turn is a T, Juanda checks, Marco bets 500, I call, Juanda thinks for one minute and calls. The river is a K, Juanda thinks for 30s and bets 3500, Marco quickly calls, I fold, Juanda shows TT and wins.

In a 6-way limped pot, I have 9s6s in the SB. The flop comes JsTh7s. I check, the big blind checks, an early limper checks, James English bets 250, the guy to his right calls, Juanda calls, I make it 1200, the big blind and early limper fold, and English immediately pushes all in. Everyone folds, including me, and he shows 89.

Mr. Ace-Three-of-Hearts limps again UTG, a few others limp, and I again make it 800 on the button with pocket nines. Mr. A3 is the only caller. The flop comes J75, he checks, I bet 1500, he folds.

The button raises to 300, I call in the SB with AJo, the big blind folds. The flop comes 853 and we both check. The turn is a Q and we both check. The river is a 9, I check, he makes a large bet, I fold.

A good player open-limps, Juanda limps, I make it 500 from the cutoff with KJo, Mr. Ace-Three-of-Hearts calls from the big blind, the first guy calls, Juanda calls. The flop comes T53 rainbow, Mr. Ace-Three-of-Hearts bets 1500, we all fold, he shows ATo.

I finished level one with about 13k.

Level Two, 100-200 blinds

I raise the first hand after the break to 575 with 5d4d in MP, the rock directly to my left makes it 1500, I call, the flop comes KTx, I check-fold to his 3k bet.

A round later I raise with AQs in second position to 575, the rock to my left again reraises, this time to 1600, I fold. I believe he won three pots before he ran a set into Juanda's nut flush and busted, and all three pots were against me.

I limp UTG with 88, Violette makes it 800 three behind me, the big blind calls, I call, the flop comes J42 with two clubs we both check to Violette, she bets 1k, we both fold.

I limp with A6s after an EP limper, the blinds call, the flop comes A84 rainbow, the SB checks, Mr. Ace-Three-of-Hearts bets 1000, the EP limper folds, I think for a while and fold, the SB folds, Mr. Ace-Three-of-Hearts shows ATo.

All folds to the SB who raises to 600, I call in the BB with AhTh. The flop comes 853 with two diamonds, he checks quickly, I think for a bit and bet 800, he makes it 2500, I think for a bit and fold. I would have moved in with any draw.

Violette raises to 700 in early position, I call in the SB with AhQh, David Matthew calls in the BB. The flop comes QT4 rainbow, I check, Matthew checks, Violette bets 1500, I move in for a bit more than 7k, Matthew thinks for a while and folds, Violette calls with KK, board bricks, I'm out.

There were some other small pots that I won or lost, but nothing more than 500 chips up or down.

The Gambler had a similar day and, in typical fashion, managed to bluff off all of his chips before the end of the third level.

I go home on Tuesday. The next main event I will play will be the World Championship.